Fantasy sports vs daily fantasy sports

If you can’t decide whether to choose a fantasy sports game or a daily fantasy sports game, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article we will explore the differences between the two, as well as the features that they have in common.

Game time

The most important difference is the length of the games. In long-term fantasy sports leagues such as Fantasy Premier League, UEFA Fantasy Champions League, Daily Mail Fantasy Football and Fantasy NBA, winners are determined at the end of the season or round, and the games usually last for months.

In the case of daily fantasy sports, the winner is usually known immediately after the last match of the round. There are also single match tournaments where the results are announced immediately after the match in question.

Entry fee

Participation in fantasy sports games is usually free. You just need to pick your team and register with the league.

In daily fantasy sports you can take part in free games, but the vast majority of tournaments require an entry fee. These fees are very diverse, starting from as little as $0.1, through to tournaments with entry fees of $1, $5, $50, and $100, right up to the top-end games where you will have to lay out $1,000 to take part. The total amount of money paid by the participants goes into the prize pool, which is then divided among the best players according to the rules.

Prizes

In daily fantasy sports tournaments, you can receive prizes immediately after completion of the last match of the tournament, and because many of them last only 1-2 days, this is a fast process. The value of the prize depends on the amount of the entry fee and the number of participants, but it is possible to win as much as $1 million with an initial stake of only $10.

Number of contestants

Fantasy sports games usually attract huge numbers of players in the hundreds or thousands.

In daily fantasy sports games, you can choose from different kinds of tournaments, ranging from heads-up tournaments where you face only one opponent, to tournaments with several dozen players, right up to the biggest ones which attract thousands of players. There’s much more variety with DFS and you can choose what’s right for you.

Building a team

The principles of team building are very similar for both fantasy sports and daily fantasy sports. Each platform and league has its own rules regarding the size of your budget and the selection process.

Scoring system

As with team building, the fantasy sports scoring system is very similar to daily fantasy sports. In both cases, the points that you gain are based on the performance of real players in real games.